? The EU will be represented at the 2002 U.S.-EU Summit by
European Council President Jose Maria Aznar and European Commission
President Romano Prodi.

? The 1957 Treaty of Rome, building on the foundation laid by
the European Coal and Steel Community, created the European Economic
Community (EEC) and launched the most comprehensive effort at economic
integration and voluntary political cooperation of the 20th Century.
The Treaty of Rome also created the basic framework for today's EU,
including provisions for a European Commission, Council of Ministers,
Assembly (now the European Parliament), and Court of Justice.

? The population of EU member states is more than 375 million
and the EU's combined GDP is $7.9 trillion. By comparison, the U.S.
population is 270 million and GDP is $10.1 trillion.

? In the 1990s, the Maastricht (1992) and Amsterdam (1997)
treaties amended the founding treaties. Among other changes, these
treaties established the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), launched
mechanisms for a Common Foreign and Security Policy, and extended new
democratic authority to the European Parliament. On January 1, 2002,
the introduction of the euro as the single currency for 12 EU member
states was completed.

? The EU is our largest source of foreign investment and second
largest trading partner. The EU and the United States share the
largest two-way trade and investment relationship in the world. In
2001, U.S.-EU trade in goods and services was just shy of $540 billion
and two way investment topped $1.3 trillion.